Hydraulic actuating means



R. M. NARDQNE HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MEANS June 18,

Filed May 7, 1956 INVENTOR. Romeo M. /Va/'a 0/2e BY 2M2 Patented June18, 1940 HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MEANS Romeo M. Nardone, East Orange, N. J.,assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. 3., acorporation of New Jersey .Application May 7, 1936, Serial No. 78,481

3 Claims.

turn it about its axis in order to point it with respectto a particularsignal sending station.

An objectof the present invention is to alleviate such difficulty by theuse of power turning means, controllable by the operator with theexpenditure of a minimum of effort.

Another object is to provide instantly responsive turning means, adaptedfor precise control of the setting of the antenna, and free from theerrors and inaccuracies to which the setting of a manually turnedantenna is subject.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent frominspection of the following specification when read with reference tothe accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated the preferred embodimentof the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that thedrawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not designed asa definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to theappended claim for this purpose.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an aircraft equipped with the antennacontrol of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a, sectional view of the preferred em bodiment, involvinghydraulic actuating means,

and mechanism for automatically maintaining,

the supply of actuating fluid.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, reference character 6| designates a radioantenna. extending vertically above the fuselage of a craft 6|] of thecabin type, having an operators seat adjacent an antenna actuating wheel30 and a fluid control unit l2, serving to supply the actuating units21, 28, 3i and 32 with oil or equivalent actuating fluid from areservoir l8, the latter being either an oil compartment of the enginecrankcase or a separate oil supply. Preferably units 21 and 28 containpistons having toothed extension rods 56 geared directly to pinions 51on the shaft of wheel 30, while pistons of units 3! and 32 have similarracks 58 meshing with pinions 59 on the mounting shaft of the antenna6i. To indicate the pressure existing in the system a piston l3 withinthe control unit I2 has an extending rack 44 actuating a gear 41 on theshaft of pointer 49 of the pressure gauge 43, while a hand grip I! onthe rod of piston l6 constitutes means for raising the pressure, whennecessary, as in initial priming.

Initially, valves.5, S, I, 8, 9 and I0 retained in casing l2 are set topredetermined values, e. g., 5, 6, and 9 to 10 lbs., 8 to 50 lbs., and'7 and 10 to 250 lbs. Likewise pressure piston I3 is controlled by a to50 lbs. spring It.

To bring the system into operation primerpiston I6 is withdrawn (orpulled to the right as viewed in Fig. 5) by knob l'l, causing oil fromsump I8 to be drawn by means of pipe is through one-way check valve 2|into the primer chamber 22. The piston is then pushed in toward thevleft, as illustrated, causing the oil to be pumped through port 23,valves 5, 6 and 9, and into pipes 24 and 26, leading to piston chambers21 and 28 respectively, of the rotator operating mechanism 30, fromwhence it is urged into a second set of chambers 3| and 32 through meansof conduits 33 and 34, the said chambers forming in part the antennacoil rotator mechanism 35. The oil in this first operation will alsoflow through residual ports shown, but have no effect upon valves orpistons connected thereto because of their higher pressure setting.

To insure having equal quantities of oil filling all four chambers 21,28, 3i and 32, the lat-- ter two are'equipped with normally closedbleeders 31 and 38 respectively, while the former two are connected byan equalizing conduit H containing a valve 39, also normally closed. Byopening these during the initial positioning operation, all pistons canbe brought into proper working relationship, thus overcoming thepossibility of an oil lock preventing efiective manipulation of theunits.

Following proper positioning of the pistons in the manner justindicated, continued pumping of the primer [6 will increase the oilpressure already in port 42 (referred to hereinbefore as one of theresidual ports) to cause piston l3 to be lifted at 20 lbs. whereby anindicator reading will begin on dial 43, due to its connection to thepiston l3 through means of rack M, formed on piston shaft 46, pinionAll, shaft 48 and pointer 49.

Further pumping will merely increase the dial pressure reading until 50lbs. is reached whichis more than enough for operating purposes. At thesame moment pressure valve 8 will blow off and the excess oil willreturn to the sump through pipe .il. Y

exerted thereon, an excessive momentary pressure might be set up in thesystem. To relieve this, valve ID (or valve 1, as case may be) will popat the limit point of, say, 250 has, by reason of the high pressurecreated on one of the pistons 21, 28. At the same time the vacuumcreated in the mating cylinder will draw open valve 6 or 9 (as the casemay be) whereupon the liquid, after opening valve III, will pass throughports 53 and 42, valve 46 (or 9), line 24 (or 26) and into the evacuatedcylinder 21 (or 28). Thus, no liquid in the system will be lost. Anyunequal balance of pressure in the system, due to climatic changes intemperature, as when the plane rises or descends, will cause expansionor contraction of the fluid in the lines, as the case may be. To takecare of the former condition, both valves l0 and I will pop, allowingthe oil to pass through ports 53 and 54 to cylinder l3 and thencethrough port 42, valve 8, and line 5| to the sump i8. To take care ofcontraction, (falling pressure) valves 6 and 9 will open to replenishthe cylinders 21, 28.

Otherwise, in normal operation, with the system at about 35 lbs.pressure, turning handwheel 52 will cause the oil in pistons 28 and 21to be displaced because of the positive drive through racks 56 andpinions 5!, simultaneously causing the oil in pistons 32 and 3| to bedisplaced and this movement to be transmitted also through racks 58 andpinions 59 to the antenna shaft or loop 6!, which has approximately 460degrees orientation.

What is claimed is:

1. Hydraulic actuating means comprising a set of driving pistons and aset of driven pistons, a cylinder for each piston, fluid connectionmeans from the cylinders housing said driving pistons to the cylindershousing said driven pistons, whereby the motion of the former istransmitted to said driven pistons, and means distinct from In the eventof too sudden a jerk on the handvwheel 52 of unit 30, or too much manualforce said first named fluid connection means for establishing flow fromone of said driving piston containing cylinders 'to the other inresponse to a sudden or jerky movement of said driving pis-- tons.

2. Hydraulic actuating means comprising a set of driving pistons and aset of driven pistons, a,-

cylinder for each piston, fluid connection means\ from the cylindershousing said driving pistons to the cylinders housing said drivenpistons,

whereby the motion of the former is transmitted to said driven pistons,and means distinct from said first named fluid connection means forestablishing flow from one of said driving piston containing cylindersto the other in response to a sudden or jerky movement of said drivingpistons,-said last named means including a by-pass path whollyindependent of the above recited fluid connection means, and a valve insaid bypass line for regulation of the flow thereto.

3. In combination with a piston and a cylinder enclosing said piston, asecond cylinder remote from the first, but in communication therewith, apiston in said second cylinder, manually operable means for causingmovement of said second piston, a fiuid reservoir and means forreplenishing the supply of fluid, including a pump to draw fluid fromsaid reservoir into said cylinders, pressure indicating meanscooperating with said pump, said pressure indicating means ineluding anindex element, a third piston movable by the pressure developed by saidpump to cause rotation of said index element, a third cylinder housingsaid third piston and constituting an auxiliary reservoir distinct fromsaid firstnamed reservoir, and means independent of said first-namedreservoir for by-passing fluid from said second cylinder to said thirdcylinder concurrently with flow of fluid from said second cylinder tosaid first cylinder, said by-passing means being efiective only duringabnormal pressure conditions in said second cylinder.

ROMEO M. NARDONE.

